Become a drug abuse counselor if you’re looking for a profitable career that is also personally rewarding. Besides formal education and some hands-on experience, the only absolute prerequisite for the job is that you are a compassionate individual who feels great satisfaction in helping to rehabilitate former drug addicts. Drug abuse counselors identify the underlying causes of an individual’s addictive behavior and then follow the individual through an organized regimen of physical and psychological therapy. Based on estimates that the number of Americans who abuse drugs is in the millions, United States’ labor department statistics predict that employment prospects for drug abuse counselors will remain high for many years to come. Here are some suggestions for how to get started on this exciting career path.

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Steps

1

Determine whether you have the personal inclination to become a drug abuse counselor.

Check licensing requirements in your state. These requirements are different in every state.

Go to the websites for the American Counseling Association and the Association of Social Work Board.

Call the local Certification Board for Addiction Professionals in the state where you intend to practice.

Make sure you find out whether the certification requirements to become a drug abuse counselor are different from those required for substance abuse counselors in general.

3

Pick a college program that will satisfy the licensing requirements in your state.

Although not mandatory, studying in the state where you intend to practice can make it easier to become licensed. That’s because some colleges actually base their study programs on the licensing requirements in their state.

4

Get a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. This is just the beginning of the formal course work you’ll have to complete to become certified.

Study fields related to counseling, such as nursing, rehabilitation services, social work and psychology.

5

Satisfy requirements for a master’s degree, required in most states in order to become a licensed drug abuse counselor.

Try to find graduate programs that have received accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), which are favored in most states.

Expect that you must complete a certain number of hours of supervised experience in a clinical setting in order to satisfy the requirements for a master’s degree.

6

Complete post-graduate training. This extra period of supervised clinical training is now becoming the norm rather than the exception in most states. This training usually takes place at a hospital or mental health clinic and can last between 1 and 2 years.

7

Seek certification from professional organizations. Consider the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc., or the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselors.

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Some states actually regard prior personal substance abuse as relevant experience that could prepare you to become a drug abuse counselor.

Expect that professional organizations who have granted you certification will also require that you re-take written examinations every few years and complete a certain number of credit hours of continuing education in your field.